The new SOS mobile application for Mumbai women in distress is at best a guidebook
After national outrage over the Delhi gang rape rocked the country, the Mumbai Police launched a SOS app for women in distress on January 6. The free mobile app called, 'ICE (In Case of Emergency) - Mumbai Police' is available for Android devices only.
How it works: A user can add multiple numbers to the app under ‘My emergency numbers’ in multiple categories like SOS, family, work, doctor, police station, hospital and even fire station.
Clicking on the blood red SOS (Save Our Souls) button on the homepage sends out a distress message to numbers you add to the ‘SOS’ category in ‘My Emergency Numbers’. The message will state that you are in an emergency situation and will also contain your present location if the same can be determined by your GPS device. The SOS button needs to be pressed for atleast 3 seconds in order to send the emergency message.
Press SOS for ambulace siren:
As soon as the SOS button is pressed, a very loud siren (just like an Indian ambulance) emanates from the phone. It could be useful for a situation which is natural and medical related when you require aid, but in situations like eve-teasing and rape threats, this could only aggravate the wrongdoer, causing graver problems.
We tested the app to determine whether the emergency SMS was being delivered to the emergency number on time.
#FAIL:
Using the app on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S: After four failed attempts, we gave up. We tried sending the SOS message to other numbers too but it still didn't work.
Using the app on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo L: Surprisingly, it works on this model.
Thus, the app has some major loopholes like the loud alarm and the unreliable SOS alert. Also, in times of emergency, there is no guarantee that the receiver of the SMS will read the message immediately.
The app uses GPS to locate the victim and nearest hospital. This is subject to connectivity. Hence, to maintain fast connectivity across locations is also a far-fetched analogy.
Only a good guidebook?
It does have detailed information and guidelines on how to react and undertake precautionary measures during emergency situations but these are just text.
It gives you a comprehensive guide to tackle all sorts of emergencies as well as all the precautionary measures that need to be taken for those unforeseen circumstances. It stresses on a Family Emergency Kit that includes all the essentials required for panic situations and natural disasters. The rudiments of the kit are also mentioned in proper specificity.
The app also requires you to fill out a number that you would want to call in case of emergency. It also has a detailed list of all the hotline numbers like ambulance, blood bank, Anti-terror squad, fire, police and others. With the help of GPS, ICE allows you to locate nearby hospitals. The built-in Google maps allow you to navigate your way out of trouble or to a nearby hospital.
An important feature allows you to add personal information like current medical conditions, blood group, allergies and medical history is very useful and would help the doctors or the helper in case of any emergency.
Developed by:
The Mumbai Police, in collaboration with KPMG (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler) and NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies), designed and developed this app to ensure safety for women.
Storage required:
The total storage capacity you require for the app is 10.46 MB, which is too large for a basic android phone. It might not be very appealing to an average consumer as normal apps for different usages are sizeably moderate and device-friendly.
Available in:
The app is available in Marathi, Hindi and English catering to all spectrums. Its simple design is easy to understand and utilizable, even for the technologically challenged.
Our verdict:
Overall, the app is more suitable for a heart, asthma or a blood pressure patient than for prevention of crimes against women. The app fails to keep in mind all the scenarios in which a woman could face danger in this city and its core SOS feature does not work for certain devices, The loud alarm could work in favour of the victim in some cases, however, could backfire badly in some. It’s best to carry pepper sprays and defence weapons for safety and not to rely on ICE alone.
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